History UsefulNotes / TheGulfWar

* In Music/InsaneClownPosse's [[Music/CarnivalOfCarnage "Taste"]], Music/{{Jumpsteady}}, who served in the War, raps that he'd be willing to "pay a little extra to the gallon" if it meant that the government would pay more attention to the violence of the inner cities instead of sending troops overseas.

%%* ''Film/CourageUnderFire''

The UsefulNotes/ColdWar was all but over by 1990, but the first Gulf War served as a demonstration of what the United States could have been capable of if things had gone hot in the 1990s or later. While Iraq used obsolescent [[RedsWithRockets export-quality Soviet equipment]] and some of its officers received training in the USSR, her forces were both grossly outnumbered and outclassed and did not use Soviet Operational Art. It is interesting to note, however, that many casual analysts and military fanboys see the poor performance of the Iraqi military's Soviet-produced equipment as definitive proof that the USA would have won the Cold War in Europe if it had been a conventional conflict — this is in large part due to [[ArmchairMilitary their enthusiasm for equipment and weapons]] at the expense of boring and irrelevant things like [[StrategyVersusTactics actual strategy]] or [[EasyLogistics logistics]].

-->-- '''[[http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/gulf/oral/powell/3.html Colin Powell]]''', then serving as the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. [[CurbStompBattle It actually lasted four days.]]

* One of the final chapters of ''VideoGame/EternalDarkness'' is set in the immediate aftermath of the Gulf War. Given [[UsefulNotes/WorldWarOne an earlier chapter's setting]], the game seems to like less depicted conflicts...
--> ''Wherever disaster and death lurk, there is likely to be an [[EldritchAbomination Ancient]] just beyond our senses, waiting. They prey on our misfortune and exploit it for their own twisted ends. When hundreds of oil fields are set ablaze on the heels of war, the Ancient's grip tightens, knowing that lives will be forfeit and resources squandered. Yet there are those who make a difference. People like Michael Edwards - a Canadian industrial firefighter hired to put an end to the insanity at the end of the war. Unfortunately for him, [[ThroughTheEyesOfMadness the insanity was just beginning...]]''

-->-- '''[[http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/gulf/oral/powell/3.html Colin Powell]]''', then serving as the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. [[ExactWords It actually lasted four days.]]

On 28 February 1991, a ceasefire came into force. Iraqi military deaths were at least 20,000, possibly up to 50,000, while the number of civilian deaths was the subject of much debate. 80,000 Iraqis were taken prisoner and the vast majority of the Iraqi Army's military equipment (several thousands tanks, armored carriers, artillery systems, and so on) were destroyed. [[CurbStompBattle 379 UN soldiers had died, but only 190 to enemy fire, with about forty tanks and other armored vehicles lost.]] In fact, far more soldiers were debilitated by "Gulf War syndrome", a mysterious ailment[[note]]Explanations offered include Iraqi chemical weapons (particularly fallout from the bombing and demolition of chemical weapons facilities), the pyridostigmine bromide pills given to soldiers as a nerve gas antidote, the pesticides use to keep the bases from swarming with bugs, fumes from the oil well fires, the use of depleted uranium shells and tank armor, side effects from the anthrax and botulinum vaccines, and combat stress.[[/note]] suffered by hundreds of thousands of returning veterans, than by actual combat.

On 17 January 1991, Operation [[AC:Desert Storm]] began. Iraq possessed one of the densest air defence networks in the world, which was centered around a French air defense system named "[[AC:Kari]]". It basically lasted one night due to the Americans' secret weapon. Okay, the F-117 had already been revealed and taken part in the DEA operation that was Panama, but that had been easy. This was harder, and it proved itself. An EF-111 got a kill without firing a shot, B-52s set the world record for a long-distance airstrike by flying from the U.S. to Saudi Arabia, firing cruise missiles, and going home, and Iraq's air defenses were crippled. Iraqi fighters didn't do much better. Some pilots ejected when they saw the enemy, and eventually the Iraqi Air Force left ''en masse'' for Iran, who said "Thanks for the planes" and duly confiscated them.

The initial U.S. and allied move was to increase the defense of Saudi Arabia, moving aircraft there in case Saddam tried to make a move on that country too. That operation was referred to in America as Operation[[AC:Desert Shield]]. UN resolution after UN resolution calling for an Iraqi withdrawal were ignored, and the U.S. built up a coalition of 34 countries—the final total buildup of troops was over half a million, and six U.S. carrier groups were involved. With a troop drawdown happening in Europe, the U.S. was free to shift over an entire corps-sized formation from Germany to the Middle East.

* ''Film/{{Jarhead}}'' tells the story of US Marine sniper Antony Swofford from boot camp to a tour of duty during the Gulf War.

* ''Bravo Two Zero'' and ''The One That Got Away'', two movies based on the Bravo Two Zero operation, based on (controversial) eponymous non-fiction books respectively written by Andy [=McNab=] andCreator/ChrisRyan, two SAS operatives who took part in the operation.

%%''Film/{{Jarhead}}''

* Cherry (of all characters) in "Sgt. Cherry and her Squealing Commandos" in ''ComicBook/CherryComics''. (And, yes, it is a satire.)

The initial U.S. and allied move was to increase the defense of Saudi Arabia, moving aircraft there in case Saddam tried to make a move on that country too. That operation was referred to in America as Operation [[AC:Desert Shield]]. UN resolution after UN resolution calling for an Iraqi withdrawal were ignored, and the U.S. built up a coalition of 34 countries—the final total buildup of troops was over half a million, and six U.S. carrier groups were involved. With a troop drawdown happening in Europe, the U.S. was free to shift over an entire corps-sized formation from Germany to the Middle East.

After six weeks of air strikes (one of which accidentally killed hundreds of civilians in a shelter), the ground liberation of Kuwait began. The UN forces, led by [[RedBaron "Stormin' Norman"]] [[AwesomeMcCoolname Schwarzkopf]], then pulled the oldest trick in the book. They made noise in the press about an amphibious Marine invasion from the east, launched a feint attack from the south, [[TakeAThirdOption and sent the bulk of their forces into the western desert to swing around and cut the Iraqis off from behind]]. It turned into a rout. A group of retreating Iraqis got subjected to air strikes for several hours, which played badly in the world press. [[StatusQuoIsGod For whatever reason]], a full-scale invasion of Iraq did not take place. Kurdish and Shia uprisings against Saddam were brutally crushed. In essence, the United States conducted the sort of offensive that they had planned to defend against.

Note: This article is about the 1990-1991 war in the Persian Gulf and Kuwait, also known as Operation Desert Storm. If you are looking for what some refer to as "Gulf War II", then please see TheWarOnTerror. In fact, that is the third Gulf War and this is the second: The UsefulNotes/IranIraqWar of the 1980s was originally called the Persian Gulf War because of its impact on shipping.

The UsefulNotes/ColdWar was all but over by 1990, but the first Gulf War served as a demonstration of what the United States could have been capable of if things had gone hot in the 1990s or later. While Iraq used obsolescent [[RedsWithRockets export-quality Soviet equipment]] and some of its officers received training in the USSR, her forces were both grossly outnumbered and outclassed and did not use Soviet Operational Art. It is interesting to note, however, that many casual analysts and military fanboys see the poor performance of the Iraqi military's Soviet-produced equipment as definitive proof that the USA would have won the Cold War in Europe if it had been a conventional conflict—this is in large part due to [[ArmchairMilitary their enthusiasm for equipment and weapons]] at the expense of boring and irrelevant things [[StrategyVersusTactics like strategy]] [[EasyLogistics and logistics]].

On 2 August 1990, Saddam Hussein, interpreted a comment by U.S. Ambassador April Glaspie ("we have no opinion on the Arab-Arab conflicts, like your border disagreement with Kuwait") as a green light to launch a military invasion of Kuwait, a small emirate that borders Iraq[[note]]Glaspie would later claim that she had given no ambiguity in her statement, but for better or for worse, that's how Hussein interpreted it[[/note]]. He also thought that the Soviet Union would veto any attempt to take firm diplomatic action. He figured very wrong.

For all that, though, the U.S. almost did not enter the war. Iraq had the world's fifth-largest military and a very capable air force. (On paper, at least.) Remembering Vietnam, many U.S. legislators were very reluctant on the issue. Kuwait hired a PR firm and had a woman testify before the Senate that Iraqi troops had removed babies from incubators and left them to die. It was completely false. That and other atrocities that ''did'' occur proved enough to get the resolution approving the U.S. involvement passed.

On 29 November 1990, the UsefulNotes/UnitedNations Security Council by a 12-2 vote (China abstained; Cuba and Yemen were against; the Soviets actually voted in favor), passed Resolution 678 , which stated:

On 17 January, Operation [[AC:Desert Storm]] began. Iraq possessed one of the densest air defence networks in the world, which was centered around a French air defense system named "[[AC:Kari]]". It basically lasted one night due to the Americans' secret weapon. Okay, the F-117 had already been revealed and taken part in the DEA operation that was Panama, but that had been easy. This was harder, and it proved itself. An EF-111 got a kill without firing a shot, B-52s set the world record for a long-distance airstrike by flying from the U.S. to Saudi Arabia, firing cruise missiles, and going home, and Iraq's air defenses were crippled. Iraqi fighters didn't do much better. Some pilots ejected when they saw the enemy, and eventually the Iraqi Air Force left ''en masse'' for Iran, who said "Thanks for the planes" and duly confiscated them.

* Wrestling/SgtSlaughter [[FaceHeelTurn turned heel]] and became an "Iraqi Sympathiser" during the war, defeating [[Wrestling/UltimateWarrior The Ultimate Warrior]] for the [[http://www.wrestling-titles.com/wwe/wwe-h.html WWE World Heavyweight Title]] at ''Wrestling/RoyalRumble 1991'' and then dropping it to Wrestling/HulkHogan at ''Wrestling/{{WrestleMania}} VII'', after the war finished (although, in one of wrestling's most embarrassing incidents, the end of the war was not acknowledged on WWF TV until Hogan had the belt again).

* SETA Corporation's ShootEmUp/[[SimulationGame Fighter Sim]] ''VideoGame/ASPAirStrikePatrol'' (AKA ''VideoGame/DesertFighter''), despite the deliberate use of fake names. [[OutsideContextProblem Among other things.]] Notably averts the FollowTheLeader trend mentioned below; part of the game's main mechanics involve managing public opinion while not wasting supplies (fuel/aircraft/ammo) and quickly destroying enemy targets as much as possible. [[NintendoHard This is harder than it sounds.]]

On 28 February 1991, a ceasefire came into force. Iraqi military deaths were at least 20,000, while the number of civilian deaths was the subject of much debate. [[CurbStompBattle 379 UN soldiers had died, but only 190 to enemy fire.]] In fact, far more soldiers were debilitated by "Gulf War syndrome", a mysterious ailment[[note]]Explanations offered include Iraqi chemical weapons (particularly fallout from the bombing and demolition of chemical weapons facilities), the pyridostigmine bromide pills given to soldiers as a nerve gas antidote, the pesticides use to keep the bases from swarming with bugs, fumes from the oil well fires, the use of depleted uranium shells and tank armor, side effects from the anthrax and botulinum vaccines, and combat stress.[[/note]] suffered by hundreds of thousands of returning veterans, than by actual combat.

* Music/{{Sabaton}}'s song [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vREt7rwK12I "Reign of Terror"]] is a VillainSucksSong aimed at Saddam Hussein during the Gulf War.

Attempts to find and destroy the launchers in Western Iraq had limited success, mainly because they were mobile. Two future military novel authors along with other SAS members ended up getting captured by the Iraqis while doing this in the ''Bravo Two Zero'' mission. Ultimately, Israel was kept out of the war with finesse rather then firearms. Elsewhere, Saddam's forces dumped oil into the Persian Gulf and burnt Kuwaiti oil wells.

-->-- '''[[http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/gulf/oral/powell/3.html Colin Powell]]''', then serving as the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. [[spoiler:[[ExactWords It actually lasted four days.]]]]

For all that, though, the U.S. almost did not enter the war. Iraq had the world's fifth-largest military and a very capable air force. (On paper, at least.) Remembering Vietnam, many U.S. legislators were very reluctant on the issue. Kuwait hired a PR firm and had a woman testify before the Senate that Iraqi troops had [[MoralEventHorizon removed babies from incubators and left them to die.]] It was completely false. That and other atrocities that ''did'' occur proved enough to get the resolution approving the U.S. involvement passed.

-->-- '''[[http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/gulf/oral/powell/3.html Colin Powell]]''', then serving as the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff

On 28 February 1991, a ceasefire came into force. 379 UN soldiers had died, but only 190 to enemy fire. Iraqi military deaths were at least 20,000, while the number of civilian deaths was the subject of much debate. In Moscow, the head of the ''Voyska PVO'', the USSR's air-defense force, had to explain how the Iraqis lost so convincingly. Iraq's weapons of mass destruction were not used because it was made very clear to Saddam that nuclear weapons would follow. This issue would not go away. Iraq would stymie UN weapons inspectors for years afterwards, until the U.S. finally ousted him from power in 2003.

%%* ''Film/{{Jarhead}}''

* Anthony Swofford's memoir, ''{{Jarhead}}''.

[[quoteright:350:http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/gulf_war_troops.jpg]]
[[caption-width-right:350:AmericaSavesTheDay as always!]]

The initial U.S. and allied move was to increase the defense of Saudi Arabia, moving aircraft there in case Saddam tried to make a move on that country too. UN resolution after UN resolution calling for an Iraqi withdrawal were ignored, and the U.S. built up a coalition of 34 countries—the final total buildup of troops was over half a million, and six U.S. carrier groups were involved. With a troop drawdown happening in Europe, the U.S. was free to shift over an entire corps-sized formation from Germany to the Middle East.

[[caption-width-right:350:[[AmericaSavesTheDay America saving the day like always!]]]]